Hemangioma in the newborn: increased incidence after chorionic villus sampling

This study was designed to compare the effects of transcervical chorionic villus sampling (CVS) and amniocentesis on the prevalence of hemangiomas of infancy.

This is a cohort study of 250 consecutive assessable transabdominal amniocentesis procedures and 250 consecutive assessable transcervical CVS procedures performed between January and September 2002. Parents were asked to fill out a questionnaire regarding the presence of any type of skin lesions. Based on the responses to the questionnaire, children were invited to undergo a physical examination to confirm hemangiomas.

Questionnaires were returned in 78% of the CVS group (195/250) and in 72% of the amniocentesis group (180/250). Based on the responses in the questionnaire, 78 children in the CVS group and 42 in the amniocentesis group underwent a physical examination. One or more hemangiomas were present in 53 of 195 (27.2%) children in the CVS group versus 17 of 180 (9.4%) children in the amniocentesis group (odds ratio 3.6, 95% CI: 2.0-6.5). There was no difference in congenital abnormalities between the two groups.

Transcervical CVS is associated with a significantly increased prevalence of hemangiomas compared with amniocentesis. The clinical features of these hemangiomas do not differ from natural hemangiomas and complications of these hemangiomas are very rare.